Beverage dispensing systems such as a pressurized beer dispensing system for dispensing beer for human consumption are generally known in the art. A beer dispensing system, often in a commercial setting such as a bar, tavern or restaurant and the like, may generally include a plurality of kegs, compressed gas tanks, various supply lines, pressure regulators etc. and a plurality of dispensing faucets.
A beer keg is generally made from metal such as stainless steel or aluminum and contains a large quantity of beer to be dispensed over time. A compressed gas tank is operably connected to the keg to force the beer from the keg. CO2 gas is typically used rather than compressed air as the CO2 gas allows the beer in the keg to remain fresh for a longer period of time than if compressed air were used. Pressure regulators are used to control the pressure of the gas, which can be customized for the particular type of beer contained in the keg. A delivery line or supply line has a first end connected to the keg, an intermediate segment and a second end having a shank connector. The dispensing faucet is typically directly connected to the shank connector. The beer kegs(s) are often housed in a refrigerated room remote from the location of the dispensing faucet that is located at the bar area of the commercial establishment. Thus, the intermediate segment of the supply line may have a considerable length extending between the beer keg and the dispensing faucet. The dispensing faucet has a housing containing internal valve components and an external lever/handle. Displacement of the handle opens the valve wherein the liquid beer is dispensed into a glass/mug via the pressurized gas.
With the use of pressurized gas to force the beer from the keg and out of the dispensing faucet, the overall pressure in the system must be regulated to assure proper dispensing of the beer while minimizing foaming of the beer. Temperature of the beer must also be controlled. Excessive foaming of the beer leads to waste as the foam is discarded, and can also adversely affect the taste of the beer. In current dispensing faucets, the connection structure to the shank connector results in undesired turbulent flow from the shank connector to an inlet of the dispensing faucet. The liquid beer is subjected to a significant volume increase as the beer flows from a more narrow passageway of the shank connector to a larger area of an inlet of the dispensing faucet. The turbulent flow promotes more foaming of the beer as the beer is dispensed from the faucet. As a result, operators often attempt to employ other methods in the system to minimize foam and increase efficiency of the beer dispensing system. These methods can add to the cost of operation of the system. In addition, current faucet designs can also lead to stagnant liquid within the faucet that can contribute to an uncleanly system.
While such beer dispensing systems and dispensing faucets according to the prior art provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present invention is provided to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.